Laser machining and mechanical control of optical microresonators

US9341781B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology · US

Inventors

• Scott Diddams · Louisville, US
• Scott B. Papp · Boulder, US
• Pascal Del'Haye · Teddington, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 9, 2013
• Grant date: May 17, 2016
• Expiry date: Apr 20, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B23K2103/54
• WIPO field: Machine tools
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and technique are used to fabricate optical microresonators. A fabrication chamber contains all fabrication materials and devices. The microresonators are fabricated from a glass preform mounted on a motorized spindle. A laser is focused onto the preform to partly or fully impinge on the preform. The laser's focus position is controlled by changing the positioning of a lens mounted on a translation stage. Piezoelectric control elements may be mounted to finished microresonators to control of nonlinear parametric oscillation and four-wave mixing effects of the microresonator, control of nonlinear optical stimulated Brillouin scattering and Raman effects of said microresonator and wideband tuning of the frequency spacing between the output modes of a nonlinear-Kerr-effect optical frequency comb generated with said microresonator.